South Campus has neighborhood feel

Boston University students just have to cross St. Mary’s Bridge to get to a whole new world of housing, Housing Director Marc Robillard said.

‘When people get into South Campus, they might not know what it is,’ Robillard said. ‘But once they get there, they get a good feeling.”

Located on many quieter side streets including Beacon Street, Buswell Street and Park Drive, South Campus housing is comprised of apartments and suites.

‘If you want more of a neighborhood feel, you go to South Campus,’ Robillard said.

College of General Studies freshman James Getonga, who lived in South Campus for a semester, said South Campus reminds him of Brooklyn, N.Y.

‘You actually feel like you’re living in a real neighborhood and not on campus,’ Getonga said.

Although the neighborhood setting is appealing for some students, South Campus is in a different direction from most BU facilities, including dining halls, the Fitness and Recreation Center and the majority of the academic buildings, which can be a hassle for incoming freshmen, CGS freshman Kristen Marotta said.

‘I didn’t like having to walk to Warren to eat meals or having to walk fifteen minutes to class every day,’ she said.’ ‘

Marotta said she swapped rooms to West Campus after first semester because it is more social.

‘I felt like there weren’t enough freshmen there,’ Marotta said. ‘You’re being thrown into a new environment, but then you’re isolated from everyone in your grade.’

The apartment- and suite-style housing is more appropriate for upperclassmen, Getonga said.

‘South Campus is for more mature residents,’ Getonga said. ‘There is too much freedom, and people can get way out of hand. The people who live in South Campus understand and appreciate the freedom there and know how to use it wisely.’

Another issue with living in South Campus is how difficult it is to pick up packages, Getonga said. All students living in South Campus must pick up packages in Warren.

‘I remember it being an absolute disaster when I came to BU,’ Getonga said. ‘I had to ship a lot of stuff here since I am an international student. I had to carry all my big boxes all the way from Warren to South Campus.’

South Campus apartments vary, but many include laundry facilities, study lounges, and small mailrooms. However, there is no South Campus dining hall.

CAS junior Ahmed Ahmed, who was forced to relocate within South Campus when the apartment he was living in caught on fire last month, said most of the houses have been relatively well-maintained, but thinks the majority need to be renovated.

Marotta also said the outside of her house always looked nice, but the inside was ‘old and grungy.’

Despite a few complaints, Ahmed said he has’ enjoyed living in South overall.

‘I like the element of freedom and not feeling confined in a dorm,’ Ahmed said.